Congruence in Job-Performance Ratings: A Study of 360 Feedback Examining Self, Manager, Peers, and Consultant Ratings

Seven task-oriented teams worked together forbetween 4 and 6 months on a project. At the end of thetask, members were each subject to four task-performanceratings: from self, superior, team-peers, and a consultant who was part of the team. Therewere fewer than chance differences between the differentteams on the congruence measures so the data wascombined. While the congruence between self and manager, self and peer, and self and consultant ratingswere very low, the manager peer, manager consultant, andpeer consultant congruence was overall high. Observablebehaviors like forward planning and communication showed overall highest congruence while lessobservable cognitive variables showed much lowercongruence. These results are similar to previousstudies in the area. Implications of the use of theseratings in management development areconsidered.     

Experiencing Work: Values, Attitudes, and Moods

This paper describes a model (the VAM model)which integrates three of the most significantdimensions of the work experience, work values,attitudes, and moods, into one overarching framework.The VAM model proposes that a rich and more completeunderstanding of the experience of work necessitates thesimultaneous consideration of work values, attitudes,and moods. After describing how work values, attitudes, and moods, each capture key aspects ofexperiencing work, we discuss three important dimensionsalong which they vary: time, dynamism, and focus. Thesedimensions underscore the need for the simultaneous consideration of values, attitudes, and moodsfor a fuller understanding of the work experience. Wethen describe how work values, attitudes, and moods havethe potential to influence each other. Finally, we discuss the implications of the VAM modelfor understanding important organizational outcomesincluding extra-role behavior, job performance, socialloafing, absenteeism, and turnover.     

Unraveling the Relationship of Distress Levels Within Couples: Common Stressors, Empathic Reactions, or Crossover via Social Interaction?

Using structural equation modeling analyses weexamined the correlation in levels of depressionsymptoms within couples to determine whether theunderlying mechanism is due to common stressors,empathic reactions, or crossover via social interaction.The analyses were based on two waves of data collectionfrom a sample of 354 male Vietnam veterans, Era veterans(veterans who served elsewhere during the period of the Vietnam War), and nonveterans andfrom their wives or committed partners. The resultsdemonstrated that the correlation in depression symptomswithin couples is due primarily to common stressors and crossover via negative social interaction.Common stressful life events increase depression in bothspouses, and this in turn increases social undermining,which further increases depression.     

论社区零售订购业态

在短缺经济时代甚至直到19世纪,零售订购依然是人类重要的购物方式和销售方式。大工业资本主义的兴起几乎摧毁了零售订购业。在经济高速发展的今天,社区零售订购又恢复了他的生机,电话和电视订购也赋予了它新的涵义。B2C零售订购业将成为中国电子商务的E—SHOP零售营销大趋势。     

Employee Work Attitudes: The Subtle Influence of Gender

Using the construct of job satisfaction, this study examined work attitudes of 286 females and 416 males employed in 27 female-owned and 29 male-owned small businesses in three industries: construction, manufacturing, and distribution. Job satisfaction scores (dependent variables) were analyzed with regard to the interaction of owner employee gender. Demographic and job-related variables were also considered. The gender-moderated results are discussed in terms of methodological implications for conducting research regarding work attitudes.     

Toward Less Division of Labor? New Production Concepts in the Automotive, Chemical, Clothing, and Machine Tool Industries

In this contribution, we focus on the results ofthe Belgian Trend Study. The intention of this study wasto examine the prevalence of new production conceptswithin the widest possible range of companies in the automotive, the machine tool, thechemical, and the clothing industries. The Trend Studyaimed to answer the following questions: is theTaylorist division of labor a thing of the past? Whatare the alternatives? Are shifts in the division oflabor accompanied by another type of personnel policy,and do traditional industrial relations have to make wayfor this new approach? The methodological concept used had to guarantee that the findingsat the level of each industry could be generalized.Though the picture emerging from the empirical datacollected in the four industrial sectors is inevitablydiverse, the data make it possible merely to suggest aneo- rather than a post-Taylorist or -Fordistconcept.     

ON THE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF FUNCTIONAL AND CELLULAR LAYOUTS- AN ANALYSIS OF THE MODEL-BASED COMPARATIVE STUDIES LITERATURE

Paralleling the increased interest in cellular manufacturing in recent years, a large number of studies have emerged that focus on the relative performance of cell systems and the functionally organized systems they replace. This paper is an analysis of studies that use model-based, controlled experimentation to seek answers to the questions of if, when, and why cellular layouts outperform their functional counterparts. Twenty-four model-based studies are analyzed with respect to their definitions of cellular versus functional layouts, the experimental factors that have been investigated, the results concerning relative performance, and the findings' relevance to layout choice. We conclude that although the comparative studies have been very valuable in their efforts at identifying the factors that embody the essence of cells and shape performance improvements, most of the basic findings are known from past research. Furthermore, the studies' findings cannot assist practitioners in making specific choices between existing layouts and alternative cell systems. However, the totality of the findings reinforce our knowledge of how work systems in general can be designed and organized to reduce throughput time, and can also be used to identify environments and conditions for which conversions to cells may have more or less potential.     

GLOBAL JOB SHOP SCHEDULING WITH A GENETIC ALGORITHM

This paper describes a global job shop scheduling procedure that uses a genetic algorithm to find a good schedule. Unlike previously considered algorithms, this procedure has been implemented in the scheduling system for a manufacturing facility and has led to improved scheduling. This facility is a semiconductor test area. The test area is a job shop and has sequence-dependent setup times at some operations. The concern of management is to meet their customer due dates and to increase throughput. This requires the coordination of many resources, a task beyond the ability of simple dispatching rules. We discuss a centralized procedure that can find a good schedule through the use of a detailed scheduling model and a genetic algorithm that searches over combinations of dispatching rules. We discuss our effort in developing a system that models the shop, creates schedules for the test area personnel, and makes a number of contributions to test area management.     

Economic and Psychological Models of Job Search Behavior of the Unemployed

Economic and psychological theories relating tojob search behavior by the unemployed are considered.There exists a noticeable contrast between the economicapproach which is almost exclusively based on a single model of the rational job seeker, andthe diverse approaches adopted by psychologists.Accordingly, the paper concentrates on areas of researchby psychologists which are relevant to the economic model. The paper starts with an overview of theresearch program in economics. Next, the psychologicalliterature on the general well-being of the unemployedis briefly surveyed; this research might be useful in informing economic studies of theeffects of the duration of unemployment on an individuals search behavior. Two psychological approaches to jobsearch behavior are then discussed, namelyexpectancy-value theory and prospect theory. Findings using theexpectancy-value approach suggest that certainpsychological variables, including normative pressures,might play an important role in job search. In addition, these findings highlight the complexrelationship between job expectations and searchintensity. Finally, it is suggested that the role andimportance of certain psychological variables such asstatus might be expected to vary over the course ofunemployment.     

Participation in the Performance Appraisal Review: Inflexible Manager Behavior and Variable Worker Needs

A survey of 137 employees provided data onperformance appraisal reviews conducted by 38 managers.Participation in the review was influenced more by whichmanager conducted the review than the circumstances of the specific review. The effect ofparticipation was greater for variables measuring futurerelationship (potential in the firm and seeking feedbackfrom manager) than immediate decisions (self-evaluation and intention to stay). Reaction to the reviewwas moderated by subordinate experience and priorfeedback. The results indicate the importance ofunderstanding the context in which the review occurs and the limited degree to which managers altertheir own behavior in the review.